The present invention generally relates to storage furniture and more particularly to articles of furniture having one or more drawers that are selectively securable through a hand-actuated (i.e., non-keyed) means that is readily concealed within another accessible and selectively closable portion of the furniture article.
There is a need in many institutional settings for articles in which one may store their personal articles and possessions in a convenient and relatively secure manner. Several known storage articles, such as footlockers for example, are relatively common place in institutional settings as they tend to be relatively inexpensive and are compatible with locking devices, such as hasp mechanisms that are configured to receive a discrete lock (e.g., a padlock or combination lock) that is provided by the user of the storage article.
As those skilled in the art will appreciate, it is usually not desirable to provide a storage article in an institutional setting wherein the user of the storage article must rely on a lock mechanism (e.g., a key actuated latch mechanism) that has been incorporated into the storage article, since the relatively transient use of the storage article can raise issues of security and maintenance. For example, the present user of the storage article cannot be sure that a prior user of the storage article did not make a copy of the key that unlatches the lock mechanism. As such, the present user cannot be sure that the contents of the storage article are secure against one possessing a copied key. Furthermore, loss of the key and/or maintenance of the latch mechanism may need to be resolved through a locksmith. In contrast, a user provided, relatively low cost padlock or combination lock tends to negates these concerns since the user may simply remove and replace the lock when confronted with the loss of a key (or forgetting of a combination) or questions about the relative security of a device.
In view of the general reluctance to incorporate an integral lock mechanism into a storage article, storage articles having externally accessible drawers have generally not been produced given a lack of a satisfactory means for locking the drawers. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, there has been a long standing need and desire for a storage article that is equipped with one or more externally accessible drawers and which is securable through a user-provided lock.
In one preferred form, the present invention provides a article of furniture having a case structure, at least one drawer, a lock structure and a dog member. The case structure has a wall member and defines at least two openings including an upper opening and a lower opening. The drawer is disposed in one of the upper opening and the lower opening and is selectively movable between an open position and a closed position. The drawer includes a lateral sidewall that is spaced laterally apart from the wall member. The lock structure extends between the upper opening and the lower opening and is slidably coupled to the wall member so as to be movable in a generally vertical direction between an unlocked position and a locked position. The lock structure includes at least one extending lock member for each drawer. The dog member is coupled to the lateral sidewall and includes a resilient trailing portion that tapers outwardly from the lateral sidewall. The trailing portion includes a trailing edge. Placement of the lock structure in the unlocked position orients the lock member into a position where the lock member does not cooperate with the dog member to maintain the drawer in the closed position or otherwise inhibit movement of the drawer between the closed position and the open position. Placement of the lock structure in the locked position orients the lock member into a position where it is horizontally aligned to the dog member. Movement of the drawer from the open position to the closed position when the lock structure is in the locked position entails contact between the lock member and the trailing edge of the dog member which moves the trailing portion of the dog member toward the sidewall of the drawer. Contact between the trailing edge of the dog member and the lock member inhibits movement of the drawer from the closed position to the open position when the lock structure is in the locked position and the drawer is in the closed position.
Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.